Gunmen kill second Yemeni Air Force colonel

SANAA: A Yemeni Air Force officer was shot dead by gunmen in Sanaa on Tuesday, the Defense Ministry said, the second such incident in as many days.

Gunmen riding a motorbike opened fire on Colonel Ali al-Dilmi in front of the military hospital, killing him instantly and fleeing the scene, the ministry said on its website.

The attack is the latest in a series of killings of security and military officers in Yemen. On Monday, gunmen shot dead Colonel Abdul Wahab Azzam as he slowed down at an intersection while driving his car in Sanaa.

Dozens of Yemeni security and military officers have been assassinated in the past two years, many by bombs planted in their cars or in drive-by shootings, often blamed on al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula or affiliated groups.

Last month, at least one Air Force officer was killed and several others were wounded when a bomb tore through a bus carrying them to their base in Sanaa.